Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has sounded a strong warning over the nation’s worsening security environment, citing porous borders, weak rural governance, and increasing external interference as key drivers of instability.
Speaking during a public lecture at the University of Ibadan on July 24, 2025, the Defence Chief identified the unchecked inflow of illicit arms, the exploitation of ungoverned rural spaces by criminal networks, and the impact of foreign-sponsored disinformation campaigns as major threats undermining national security efforts.
Speaking on the topic “Global Fragility and Security Management in Nigeria,” the Defence Chief emphasized that the country’s internal security is increasingly threatened by broader global instability, calling for a reimagined national security strategy.
“Fragile states now pose a direct threat to both regional and global peace. Nigeria is not immune,” he cautioned, while highlighting the deepening connections between external crises and the rise in domestic terrorism, banditry, cyber threats, and environmental shocks.
General Musa warned that Nigeria still faces significant challenges, including: Porous borders and inflows of illicit arms, Weak governance structures in rural areas vulnerable to criminal exploitation, And external pressures, including conditional arms agreements and foreign-sponsored disinformation campaigns that distort public narratives and undermine security efforts.
He also identified hybrid threats like disinformation and digital radicalisation as growing challenges, citing the exploitation of social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp to spread hate speech, inflame ethnic tensions, and erode public trust.
The Defence Chief urged a multi-dimensional policy approach, as captured in Nigeria’s National Defence Policy, which includes: strengthening border security with modern surveillance tools, reinforcing inter-agency cooperation, collaborating with international partners to disrupt arms smuggling routes, and investing in youth empowerment and socio-economic development.
“Security today transcends traditional warfare. It involves sustainable development, responsive governance, and inclusive civic engagement,” he said.
To ensure long-term national resilience, the CDS proposed four pillars of action: Strengthening Institutions – especially the justice system, security forces, and democratic governance, Economic Empowerment through youth development, agriculture, and entrepreneurship
Building Community Resilience – by promoting trust, intelligence-sharing, and local early warning systems and Strengthening Global Partnerships – via improved intelligence cooperation and alignment with international best practices.
He called on Nigerian academic institutions to rise to the challenge of knowledge production, national orientation, and security innovation. “The University of Ibadan, as a centre of intellectual leadership, must continue to contribute to the national security discourse through research, dialogue, and mentorship of future leaders,” he said.